1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a musical instrument or a wind chime comprising a suspender rod and a plurality of sounding bodies that are fixed thereto and dangle there from.
2. Background Art
Instruments of the generic type are conventionally designated as chimes. The sounding bodies are usually rod-shaped and may be formed by solid rods or by pipes. When the sounding bodies are touched, the varying lengths produce varying notes. In the wind chime, the desired sound is generated by the individual sounding bodies touching under the action of the wind.
The suspended attachment of the sounding bodies is implemented by the suspender rod being provided with drilled holes, by another drilled hole being provided at the upper ends of the sounding bodies and by threads or wires being passed through the respective drilled holes.
A drawback of chimes of the species, which have comparatively long suspender rods, resides in their unwieldiness during transport and storage.
It is an object of the invention to embody an instrument or wind chime of the type mentioned at the outset such that, as opposed to conventional designs, greater ease of transport and more convenient safekeeping are ensured on the one hand and entirely novel sound effects are achievable on the other hand.
According to the invention, this object is attained in that the suspender rod is equipped with a folding joint.
A considerably compacter way of handling is ensured by the collapsibility of the suspender rod. Moreover, entirely novel sound effects are achieved, because two rows of directly adjacent sounding bodies originate, which hit against each other when touched or moved by the wind.
In keeping with another embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the suspender rod is fixable in the folded condition. In this way, not only safekeeping of the folded instrument is possible, but it can also be played.
By advantage, this fixation is put into practice by the suspender rod having drilled holes which are in alignment in the folded condition, serving for insertion of a fixing bolt.
Favorably, the folding joint is also fixable in the unfolded condition, the suspender rod thus being stabilized.
By advantage, a pivotable, snap-in locking bow is provided for the folding joint to be fixed.
An especially attractive appearance and advantageous playing technique result from the length of the sounding bodies increasing from the middle outwards.
Details of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the drawing.